Moors Murderer Ian Brady, who was convicted in 1966, Denis Nilsen, who was convicted in 1983, and John Childs, who killed six people in the 70s by dismembering them with a saw and wooden mallet before incinerating them, are all on the list.

But it does not include Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe, who murdered 13 women in the 70s and early 80s before his arrest in 1981 and conviction five months later.

Sutcliffe has not been told he must spend the rest of his life in detention because he failed to submit written representations in court before his tariff was fixed, a Home Office spokeswoman confirmed today.

A tariff for the murderer will now be set by the High Court. The Criminal Justice Act 2003 states a whole-life order would normally be the starting point in any case where two or more murders are committed involving a substantial degree of premeditation, or sexual or sadistic conduct.

It could also be given when a child is murdered involving abduction or sexual or sadistic motivation, when a murder is intended to advance a political, religious or ideological cause or when an offender has already been convicted of murder once.

The Home Office names 30 murderers serving the whole-life sentences on its website and The Times adds John McGrady, 48, to the tally.

McGrady was convicted in April of murdering Rochelle Holness, 15. He strangled her and then dismembered her body, leaving it in bin bags near her home in south London.

He was not included in the Government's list because he has appealed against his whole-life sentence and the case is still to be heard, a spokeswoman said.

She added that the remaining four in the 35 were not named because they have never had their tariffs reviewed and the department felt it was wrong to identify them until they had had an opportunity for their sentences to be re-set.

Ministers lost the right to set tariffs in 2003. The decision is now made by the trial judge or the High Court, which is also reviewing all tariffs previously set by ministers.

It followed a House of Lords ruling stating the Home Secretary could not set minimum terms for life sentences because it conflicted with the right to a fair trial, under Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The House of Lords decided defendants must be sentenced by an independent tribunal, meaning a judge, to ensure compliance with the Convention.